During the European Parliament's civil liberties committee meeting on Monday 5 March, several officials from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and from the European Parliament reviewed the actions taken thus far to come to the aid of refugees and migrants trapped in Libya.
In accordance with the commitments of the EU-Africa summit in Abidjan last October (see EUROPE 11926), 15,000 people stranded in camps or detention centres in Libya have already been evacuated since November 2017, in cooperation with IOM in particular. According to the UNHCR, "tangible" progress has been achieved: 9,379 people have returned to their country of origin since November 2017. In addition, 1,334 people have been transferred via the emergency transit mechanism for the most vulnerable, including 1,020 to Niger and 312 to Italy.
Only 430 new places have been proposed by European countries, including just 25 in France. It is important for the European countries "to show us what they are ready to do", Karmen Sakhr, head of the North Africa Department for the UNHCR, stated. Many migrants remain trapped in Libya in "very difficult conditions", she said.
According to figures from the UNHCR, there are reportedly 800,000 migrants remaining in Libya who are in an irregular situation and facing very tough detention conditions. The European Commission mentions a figure of 700,000.
The UNHCR has set out details of the priorities for its action: strengthening links with the Libyan authorities, improving the humanitarian situation on the ground, and helping displaced people within Libya or between different countries.
The European Parliament has announced that it is sending an ad hoc delegation to Libya, comprising members of the foreign affairs committee, civil liberties committee and the European Parliament delegation for the Maghreb. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)